Protective case for a music box



April 24, 1962 J. AVIOLAT PROTECTIVE CASE} FOR A MUSIC BOX Filed NOV. 2, 1959 F IG. 3

-INVENTOR JEAN AVIOLAT ATIORNE United States Patent Ofifice 3,031,071 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 Claims priority, application Switzerland Nov. 24, 1958 2 Claims. (Cl. 206-47) An always increasing distribution of music boxes and their application in various fields is desirable and therefore it is necessary to reduce as much as possible the cost of such boxes and primarily the cost of the casing enclosing and protecting them.

My invention has for its object a reduction in the cost of said casing and its main object consists in the provision of a protective casing for a music box including a carrier plate provided with an opening through which the movement of the box may be wound, while the top and the sides of the casing are formed by a suitable cut sheet of cardboard secured to the edges of the supporting plate.

I have illustrated by way of example two embodiments of my improved protective casing for a music box in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a bottomplan view of the supporting plate.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cardboard sheet adapted to form the top and the sides of the casing.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the incorporation of the actual music box with the improved casing inside a package containing a perfume bottle for instance.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the second embodiment.

Said protective casing for a music box includes, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, a supporting plate 1 preferably of wood. Said supporting plate 1 is provided with an opening 2 through which the spindle 3 of the winding key or crank 4 for the movement 5 is allowed to pass. A recess 6 of an enlarged diameter is cut round the lower end of the opening 2, so as to form a housing for the crank 4, which is pivotally mounted on spindle 3 and may be folded back into said recess 6.

The top 7 and the sides 8 of the casing are formed by a cardboard sheet 9, which has been cut in accordance with the shape given to the supporting plate 1. The sides 8 of said cardboard sheet 9 are adapted to be secured to the edges 10' of the plate 1, for instance through gluing or clamping. One of the sides 8 formed by the sheet 9 is provided with an opening 11 adapted to allow the passage through it of a member 12, which ensures the locking and the release of the movement 5. In the example illustrated, said member 12 is constituted by a loop of steel wire forming a spring and secured through one of its ends to the movement, while its other end is adapted to lock the said movement whenever the wire loop 12 is urged into engagement with said movement 5.

A music box protected by a casing such as that described hereinabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 may be readily applied for various commercial purposes. In particular, it is possible to incorporate such music boxes with gift packages to be presented for any holiday or birthday, for instance with presents of confectionery, stationery, perfumery, articles for smokers and the like.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show, for instance, how the music box may be incorporated with its casing inside a package containing a perfume bottle 13. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movement 5, protected by the casing including the supporting plate 1 and the cardboard sheet 9, is fitted inside a box 14 forming a base or bottom for the actual package of the perfume bottle 13. Over said base 14 may be slidingly fitted a cover 15 enclosing both the perfume bottle and the music box inside the base. Said base 14 is also provided with a gate in registry with the opening 11 in the sidewall of the casing. The gate 16 is of a shape similar to opening 11 so as to permit mem-. ber 12 controlling the music box to pass therethrough. The covering 17 for the bottom of the base 14 is pro vided with an opening 17a in registry with the recess 6 in the bottom of the supporting plate 1.

It will be readily ascertained, upon examination of FIGS. 4 and 5, that when the perfumery package is closed by its sliding cover 15, as illustrated in FIG. 4, said cover 15 will urge inwardly the member 12 which locks the music box 5 against operation. As soon as the cover 15 is raised for opening of the package (see FIG. 5), the wire forming the member 12 expands outside the casing and the base 14 so that the released movement 5 starts operating. This requires a previous Winding of the spring driving the movement, said winding being provided through the crank 4. Thus, the person who receives the gift hears a melody, as soon as he or she opens the package, this forming a pleasant accompaniment.

The second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 includes as in the first case a supporting plate 1 carrying the music box 5, while the top 7 and the sidewalls 8 of said casing are constituted by a suitably cut and folded sheet of cardboard 9. According to said second embodiment,

the winding crank 4 is replaced 'by a pulley 18 rigid with s the end of the spindle 3 through which the movement is wound. Said pulley 18 is carried inside a recess 19 formed in the upper surface of the plate 1. A wire 20 wound over the pulley 18 is provided for driving it into rotation. Said wire 20 passes through a transverse port or groove 21 formed within the thickness of the plate 1, so as to allow the passage of said wire 20 out of the recess 19 containing said pulley, said Wire extending outwardly and beyond one of the sidewalls of the casing. The outer end of said wire 20 is provided preferably with a control knob 22 or the like part so that it is possible to exert therethrough a pull on the wire 20 with a view to winding the movement of the music box. In FIG. 6, the music box is illustrated as fitted inside a package constituted by a cardboard box 23 adapted to be closed by an outer cover which is not illustrated and which may contain an article of perfumery, confectionery or the like.

Numerous modifications may be brought to said protective casing for a music box. Thus, the supporting plate 1, instead of being made of wood, may be made of any other suitable material such as molded plastic material or thick cardboard.

According to the winding means provided for the movement of the music box, the recess 6 may pass throughout the plate 1, which may be advantageous whenever the movement 5 is to be wound through the agency of a coin adapted to be engaged in a slot of the member driving the winding means.

In certain cases, the recess 6 may be omitted, only the opening 2 being provided through the plate 1. This latter embodiment may be of use chiefly in the case where the package adapted to receive the music box inside it is provided with a bottom which is sufficiently thick for the formation therein of a housing for the winding member, or else, in the case where the bottom of such a package is shifted inwardly with reference to the outer edges of the package, so as to form a recess for carrying the crank or the like winding member.

As to the location and shape of the opening 11 provided for the passage of the locking member 12, or other member for releasing the movement 5 when desired, said opening may vary according to the type of movement and it may be formed as well in the top 7 of the casing or even in the supporting plate 1.

Of course, the shape of the supporting plate 1 may be selected as desired and it may be, for instance, of a polygonal, round or any other suitable shape. The upper cardboard section of the casing will be given a shape corresponding to that of the supporting plate, say a prismatic, tubular or the like shape.

I claim:

1. A compound package, comprising a supporting plate provided with an opening, a music box carried by the supporting plate and including a movement and winding means for said movement facing the opening in the plate, a sheet folded in the shape of a cover including a top wall and sidewalls, one of said sidewalls provided with an opening, a member adapted to lock and release the movement of the music box when urged into and out of engagement with said movement and extending through said opening in said sidewall, the lower edges of the sidewalls of the sheet rigidly secured to the outer periphery of the supporting plate, and a removable cover member fitted over the supporting plate and the sidewalls of the sheet and providing a space between said cover and the top wall of said sheet to receive an article to be packaged, whereby, when said cover member is in position it retains the locking member in its operative engaged position and upon upward movement of said cover away from the supporting plate, said locking member is released to permit operation of said music box.

2. In combination with a music box including a move ment and winding means therefor, a protective casing comprising, a supporting plate to which said music box is secured, said plate provided with an opening and a recess surrounding said opening, said opening registering with the winding means, a sheet folded in the shape of a a cover including a top wall and side walls, the lower edges of the side walls secured to the outer periphery of the supporting plate, a crank controlling the winding means and adapted to be collapsed within said recess in the sup porting plate, one side wall of the cover provided with an opening, and a spring member projecting through said side wall opening and having one end secured to said music box and its other end adapted to lock and release the movement as desired When urged into and out of engagement with said movement.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 

